"[1] His book, Privileged Son, was described as "illuminating reading for anyone interested in 20th-century Los Angeles or modern-day newspapering" by The New York Times.

[3] In an interview with blogger Luke Ford, McDougal recalls his experience, much of which formed the basis for his first fiction novel The Candlestickmaker, published in 2011: ...The captain of our ship had a predilection for taking the recruiting slogan – join the Navy and see the world – seriously.

[5] The New York Times in a review called McDougal's book "illuminating reading for anyone interested in 20th-century Los Angeles or modern-day newspapering.

A longtime contributor to TV Guide,[6] McDougal's last piece covered the murderous saga of actor Robert Blake and Bonny Lee Bakley.

[9] In 1982, McDougal was awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University and spent a year teaching and studying in Japan and Canada, as well as at the Palo Alto campus.